Michigan State Football: Kenny Willekes is Big Ten’s best D-lineman

Former walk-on Kenny Willekes has been named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Michigan State football found another gem.

From walk-on to scholarship player to starting defensive end to Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Kenny Willekes has been the ultimate success story for Michigan State football and there’s just one step left in his personal process other than winning the Big Ten title: getting drafted.

Fortunately for the Spartans, they may have another year of the All-Big Ten defensive end after he put together a ridiculous 2018 season with 76 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. You don’t often hear of those types of numbers coming from a down lineman.

On Tuesday evening, the Big Ten named him the conference’s lineman of the year, beating out the likes of Chase Winovich, Dre’Mont Jones, A.J. Epenesa, Yetur Gross-Matos and Rashan Gary who all made the first-team.

Willekes becomes Mark Dantonio’s latest success story who has gone from lightly-recruited walk-on at Michigan State to an All-Big Ten performer and leader of the defense — along with Joe Bachie.

The last Spartan to win the defensive lineman of the year award was former lightly-recruited three-star prospect Shilique Calhoun back in 2013. This defense has been compared to that 2013 squad, but the records are far difference because Michigan State’s offense has been mediocre, to say the least.

Michigan State continues to find these zero-star recruits who were nobodies out of high school and turn them into all-conference players.

Willekes has a pro future ahead of him and whether that will come after this season or next remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure — he earned this award.

Not many kids have worked harder than Willekes throughout his football career and he’s beginning to reap the rewards.